Bethyl Drabbles V
by AshleyTrecartin
Summary: Part 5 in the series.
1. Guidelines & Prompt List

**Guidelines **

**What I won't write:**

OOC

Maggie Bashing. I know I have in the past, but I honestly think that Maggie would be supportive of Beth and Daryl, so there will be no more Maggie bashing.

Carol Bashing. I love Carol and will not bash her unless given a good enough reason to.

Normily. I do not ship actors, only characters.

_I'll write just about anything else. But I've been getting some very out-of-character prompts lately and I'm not only uncomfortable writing them but would have no idea how to write it because it's so left field._

**Prompt List**

1\. **Devil's Backbone:** Devil's Backbone by The Civil Wars

2\. **Dust to Dust:** Dust to Dust by The Civil Wars

3\. **Glass**: Glass by Thompson Square

4\. **Step Away:** Step Away by Corey Grey

5\. **She is the Sunlight:** She is the Sunlight by Trading Yesterday

6\. **Wonder**: Wonder by Lauren Anquilina

7\. **Burn with You**: Burn with You by Lea Michele

8\. **Night Train**: Beth and Daryl making love in a field while listening to a night train

9\. **Much Ado About Nothing**: Beth and Daryl are both famous actors that don't get along. They're both cast as lovers in a movie that calls for a passionate sex scene. When they're filming things start to heat up. What happens when they scene is done and they run into each other going back to their trailers?

10\. **Little Sister**: Merle survived but no one knows. Beth runs into him after escaping her captors and they team up with Tyreese and Carol and save the others from Terminus.

11\. **Alone in this Bed:** Angst.

12\. **The Last Time:** Daryl makes Beth angrier than she's ever been and she storms off. Daryl is afraid that this time might have been the last time he pushed her over the edge. _(Probably going to be replaced with something else)_

13\. **Thick**: Based on Daryl's thick fingers.

14\. **Performance**: Beth and Daryl have great sex but one night he had trouble performing.

15\. **PDA**: PDA is really not their things, but somehow they constantly get caught.

16\. **Hell No:** "Oh hell no!"

17\. **Pregnancy Test:** Pregnancy test. Not for Beth but Daryl thinks it is.

18\. **Advice**: Piece of advice.

19\. **Save a Horse:** Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy by Big &amp; Rich _(Going to be replaced with something else)_

20\. **Supernatural:** Supernatural crossover (Going to be a full story)

21\. **Walking Funny:** Daryl takes Beth's virginity and tries to be gentle but the next day she's walking funny and they have to explain their way out of it to Rick and the rest of the group.

22\. **Vegetarian:** Long time vegetarian Beth has to give it up for her own survival. Daryl is there to help her cope with eating her first squirrel.

23\. **Through the Door:** Daryl talks to Beth before he leaves to get the medicine. Since she's isolated with the kids they have to talk through the door.

24\. **Do You?:** One of the prison children asks Daryl if he and Beth are in love.

25\. **Kitten:** Beth finds out about Daryl's secret love for cats and finds a black kitten to give him as a present.

26.** Grumpy:** Daryl is grumpy and has a killer headache. Everyone is just making it worse. Beth offers to help but he gets annoyed and goes off on her. She gets upset and walks off. He feels bad and goes to apologize. Shouting and makeup sex happen.

27\. **Her Coffee, His Cigarettes:** Her coffee was growing cold as she waited for him to miss her. While his cigarettes were going one after another waiting to forget her.

28\. **First Impressions:** Beth and Daryl discuss their first impressions of each other, as well as how much they have chanced and hot it led them to this moment.

29\. **Thunder and Lightning:** Daryl wakes up alone and goes searching for Beth. He finds her watching a thunder storm and wants to know why she's so fascinated with them.

30\. **Comfort**: After a very dangerous run, Daryl just wants to see Beth and he demonstrates some very uncharacteristic PDA.

31\. **Distracted:** Daryl is distracted by something cute Beth is doing and lets out a girly scream as he walks backwards through a spider web. He tries to play it off but teasing ensues.

32\. **Cussing:** Beth occasionally cusses and it's a surprise to everyone but Daryl who is actually kind of smug. Later she finds out and it turns him on.

33\. **Make Love:** It took them a while to actually make love, not just sex, and it's a surprise to both of them.

34\. **Secret Tattoo:** Beth had a hidden tattoo and Daryl is highly amused.

35\. **Damn: **Daryl standing with the guys while Beth is goofing off with Maggie and the baby and he can't help but smile and think "Damn I love her."

36\. **All Alone:** Beth gives birth with no one but Daryl there to help her.

37\. **Claimed: **Joe and his group walk in on Daryl and Beth making love.

38\. **Must be Doing Something Right: **Must be Doing Something Right by Billy Currington

39\. **Newborn****: **Daryl holds his newborn son for the first time.

40\. **Homecoming: **Sometimes the hardest part about coming home is surviving the homecoming.


	2. Devil's Backbone

Devil's Backbone

Beth looked up when Daryl walked into the small shack they had out in the middle of the woods. It was secluded, safe; it had to be considering he was wanted in just about every state now. She didn't know how it happened, didn't know why, but she'd fallen in love with a man on the run and every night she prayed, begged for God not to take him away from her. He walked over and kissed her before going to the sink, washing blood off of his hands. She watched him, carefully. He would never hurt her, never, but as she watched him she realized that everything she'd thought she'd wanted in a man, everything her daddy had hoped she'd find was nothing like the man Daryl was. He was carved from the Devil's backbone, tough, rough, mean, but he could love her like he was making love to an angel, gentle, soft, loving.

She knew better than the people who were looking for him. Who wanted to string a noose around his neck and hang him from a tall oak tree. He'd had to do what he'd done. He didn't have a choice. It was life or death, and he'd chosen life. But now…her hand strayed to her slightly distended belly as he walked over and wrapped his arms around her. There was another one on the way and they didn't know how they were going to make this work, but she had faith in him. She'd always have faith in him.

That night, lying in bed, she stared up at the ceiling and had another conversation with the Lord above. She would take everything, all of the blame, all of the shame, she'd say as many Hail Marys as it took to wash him clean. He couldn't leave her, not now, not ever. She didn't care if he was guilty or not, didn't care if he was good or bad, because he was both, and he was all that she had. No one was going to take him away from her. Never.


	3. Dust to Dust

Dust to Dust

He opened the door and looked down at her as the rain fell down over her head. She looked up at him with those storm blue eyes, pleading and begging. He stepped aside and let her into his trailer, not caring that it was a mess, not caring about anything. She didn't say anything as he followed her back to the bedroom and she started to undress, she didn't need to. He understood, they just got each other. She laughed lightly when he tossed a towel over her head and gently started to dry her hair with it. Everything she did gave her away. She was lonely, and she'd been lonely for too damn long. She always tried to act like she wasn't always tried to put on a disguise to fool everyone around her, but he knew. He always knew. With every perfectly delivered line, he saw the lies; saw the truth that lay beneath.

Beth looked at him as he went to the dresser and pulled out a clean shirt for her to slip on after she'd taken off her wet clothes. He was hiding just as much as she was. He'd been holding his head up high for too long, always fighting the fight, always trying to hide the scars she knew he carried, and not just the physical ones. He'd had it worse than she did, he always had with his daddy and his brother. But she didn't care. She saw the beauty he tried to hide, saw the man he desperately wanted to be. He was lonely, just like she was, had been lonely for a long time now.

She slowly walked over and wrapped her arms around him, her naked skin against his bare back, her lips dancing over the scars he'd been terrified to show her. They were slowly letting each other in, breaking down the walls they'd built up over time. He turned around in her arms and looked down at her and in that moment she knew, the walls they'd built were going to get burnt down, just for each other. As he dipped his head and kissed her they each lit a match and set them aflame. As he made love to her they danced in the flames, watching them turn to dust. They'd both been lonely for too damn long.


	4. Glass

Glass

Beth rested her head on his chest as he gently traced a labyrinth into her skin with his fingertips. When it had started, whatever they had between them, they'd both been trying to love with a heart that refused to be broken, which wasn't possible, but they'd both been hurt before and they didn't want to get hurt again. Over time, they realized that they were made for each other, even if they were so different. He knew that she needed gentle, slow, and that's what he gave her, every day. He was different with her, and she was different with him. He needed someone to hold him, to tell him everything was going to be okay. She was his rock when he needed her to be.

She let him look inside of her, let him see everything that had happened, all of the scars and stains that had broken her, and he'd opened up to her. They saw the good and the bad in each other; they saw the darkness inside each other and brought light to it. They never judged each other, never blamed each other for what they'd done because it had brought them together, and that was the only thing that mattered.

They knew they were playing with fire, but it didn't matter, it only made their love stronger. She was gasoline, he was fire, and each time they touched they struck a match, burning hotter, brighter. They were both fragile, cracked from the loves they had before, shaped by the light that they gave each other. She turned and looked at him, knowing that he'd never break her, and she refused to break him. They were both made of glass, so they knew what the other needed. She dropped a kiss to his lips, smiling as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She was going to do everything in her power to keep him strong, just like he would always do for her.


	5. Step Away

Step Away

He saw his phone light up with her picture and his heart broke a little bit. Every day they grew closer and he didn't think that was a good idea. He didn't want to be someone she loved; he wanted to be someone she could walk away from, someone she would walk away from. He wasn't any good for her, he always made something go wrong, everything he touched broke under his fingers and he didn't want to do that to her. He didn't want to hurt her like he knew he was going to. He didn't want her to believe in him, how could she when he couldn't believe in himself?

She always told him she knew what it was like, that she'd been there before, but how much of what she was telling him was out of desperation to make him stay? He guessed it didn't matter because every time she told him he could see the truth in her eyes. She'd bled before and she'd smiled through it. But where did that leave them? He was a loaded gun, ready to go off, ready to ruin the good thing they had going between them. She gave him all of her love, every day, but he was wondering how long it was going to last, how long it would be enough.

When this had first stated out, it had felt so good, they'd been high on each other, drinking in the love that constantly kept them buzzed. He would kiss her every night, hold her in his arms, swear to her he'd make her dreams come true. But he never believed his lies, he still didn't. She needed to step away from him, she needed to see that he was only going to ruin her in the end; he was only going to break her. It had been nice to pretend in the beginning, but that was over now and she needed to leave. She was either going to have to pull the trigger, end the good thing they had going before it destroyed them in a blaze of hellfire. She needed to step away.


	6. She is the Sunlight

She is the Sunlight

He watched her dance around the living room and thought about how damn lucky his pathetic ass was that she was his, that she seemed to love him. He couldn't understand it; he didn't know why someone like her seemed to be drawn to him like a moth to a flame. All he knew was that she was the sunlight in his life, the light that illuminated the darkness he seemed to be trapped in, his guiding light. If she ever left him he'd in a world of heartache, but he'd take the pain, if holding onto her was only going to make him bleed later, he would take the wound. She healed the pain that radiated off of him; she took what he gave and made it better. She lived in a daydream of them, always planning for a future he never saw, one he never dreamed of, one he wasn't sure he could give her. She made him better, made him stronger, as long as he didn't lose the sunlight, as long as rainclouds didn't block her out, take her away from him, he'd be okay. That much he knew. And he loved her.


	7. Wonder

Wonder

Beth looked at him as he walked into the tent, wet from being caught out in the rain, his crossbow hanging at his side. She tried to cool the blush on her face, tried to get a handle on her feelings as he knelt beside her and showed her the cut on his upper arm he'd gotten while he was out. He always came to her when he hurt himself. She tried to control her thoughts as she gently touched his cool skin. She glanced up at the ceiling and tried to remember the exact second she'd fallen for the rough redneck in front of her. He was off limits to her, for more than one reason, but she couldn't stop herself from loving him and honestly, didn't want to.

He knew she existed, but he didn't see her, not really. It wasn't really fair when he was the center of her focus, when he held all of her attention. He was always so busy, running around, making sure everyone was fed, hunting, making sure they were protected. She never wanted to pull him away from his mission, she knew how important a mission was, but she wanted him to herself, for at least a few moments. When she was finished bandaging him, she held onto his hand, didn't want to let him leave her yet. He looked at her and she just smiled a little.

She leaned in and kissed him, just a small peck of the lips, but maybe it was enough. Maybe it could make him see; open up his eyes to the possibilities. She was blind to everything but him and she didn't know how it happened. She looked up into his blue diamond eyes and just shrugged at his questioning look. "Sometimes I wonder if you wonder about me too," she whispered.


	8. Burn with You

Burn with You

Everything they had was broken; it's what they were, who they were. It was the only thing to be when the dead were walking and you were trying to love someone. Neither one of them knew how it had started, what had lit the flame between them, but they were going to hold on for as long as it lasted because there was no cure for their condition, no sweet words that would remedy everything. She looked at him with desperate eyes in the quietness of their tent. She knew their relationship should be hopeless, that there would be no happy ending, but in that moment, alone together, a tangled mess of naked skin, they were happy, for however long it would last.

It wasn't perfect, nothing between them ever was. His demons had a hot temper, and her angels were slow to give up. It was a hurricane of love and anger, constantly at each other's throats or whispering words of passion as sweat beaded on porcelain skin. It wasn't right to live like this, to love like this, but what they had was never ending.

It wasn't healthy and she was sure their love was barely even breathing anymore, but the pain is what kept her going. It promised her it was real; it wasn't just a fantasy she would wake up from. They were lost together, traveling and searching but never finding. They were lost, but she would follow him forever. She didn't want to dream without him, didn't want to lay down at night unless he was there, his body pressed against hers, promising protection and what comfort her could offer her. She didn't want to bleed, to fight another day if he wasn't going to be there fighting alongside of her.

She would do anything he wanted her to because she loved him, as wrong as it may be. She didn't want to go to heaven, if he was going to go to hell. She would burn with him, because she knew he'd burn with her too.


	9. Night Train

Night Train

Daryl had been thinking about her all day, no matter what he did he couldn't get her off his mind. It'd been that way since they day they'd met. He'd been waiting all day for that damn sun to go down before he called her up. "Hey you," she answered and he swore he could hear the smile in her voice. "What are you doing?"

"Thinking about comin' to pick you up," he answered, grabbing a few things and putting them in his truck. "You busy?"

"For you? Never."

He smirked a bit. "I'll be there in a few." He hopped into his truck and headed out to her place in the backwoods, the country station turned on, his thumb tapping along to whatever was playing. She was waiting for him at the gate and slid into the cab beside him. He kissed her before he turned the truck around and headed to the outskirts of town, out where the train tracks ran through their little backwater town. He hopped out and grabbed the blanket and the fifth of SoCo he'd grabbed before he'd left his house.

Beth's eyes lit up when she heard the whistles out in the distance. It was still a ways off; they had a good ten minutes before it started to pass through. Daryl slipped his hand into her and led her into the field he'd parked in front of, walking her over towards the tracks. He handed her the bottle of SoCo before lying the blanket down, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her down with him. She laughed as they fell to the ground, a tangled mess of limbs. Daryl smirked and reached over her, taking the bottle from her and opening it.

He took a sip before she pulled it from him. He watched her shoot it straight like a good southern girl and smirked as she straddled his hips in her cutoffs. "Do you love me?" she asked, taking another pull from the bottle.

Daryl wrapped his hand around the bottle and guided it to his lips, her hand still around it. He watched her as he took a shot from it. "Always," he answered as the whiskey warmed him up.

"Show me." He watched as his little angel took her tank top in her hands and pulled it over her head, letting it fall to the ground beside them. Daryl sat up slowly, holding her hips in his hand as he set the bottle down beside them, they could hear the train getting closer, moving into the county's limits as he ran his hands up her sides and kissed her. Beth moaned into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him close, her fingers tangling in his hair. He reached around behind her and unhooked her bra, pulling it from her arms as he kissed a trail along her jaw and down her neck.

Her hands were frantic against him as she pulled his shirt from his shoulders and let it join her clothes on the ground. She hooked her legs around his waist as he held onto her, gently easing her down onto her back. He stared down into her storm blue eyes and fell in love all over again. The train was getting closer.

Beth lifted her hips as he eased the rest of her clothes from her body, kicking off her boots behind his back to make it easier. His eyes roamed every part of her naked flesh, gone pale in the moonlight that shone down on them. They both looked over towards the tracks as the train started to go by, the whistle loud, the tracks rattling under the freight cars. It was moving slow, creating a rhythm over the wooden road it followed.

Daryl covered Beth's body again and kissed her, fisting her hair in his hands, pulling her close against him as she rolled her little hips against his, creating a dance that followed the beat of the metal over old wood behind them. He groaned his head falling to her shoulder as her hands quickly found his jeans, popping them open and using her feet to ease them down his legs. He kicked them off and stared down at her. "Show me how much you love me," she whispered, just loud enough for him to hear her over the train.

He kissed her again as the whistle blew, slowly getting quieter as the train kept going and going. It was a long one. He gently eased into her body, both of them moaning as the sensations coursing through them. All of his focus zeroed in on her as she consumed him. She was his everything. He moved his tips in time to the rattling of the tracks behind him, keeping pace with the night train as he held her close against him. Beth clung to him, sweat beading on their skin, her nails and teeth and lips dancing over his skin leaving her mark behind. She let her head fall back, her neck creating a delicate arch in the moonlight as her body sung for him, came alive for him.

He kept it slow, showing her with his body what she meant to him. He treated her like glass until she shattered in his arms, crying out his name to the stars. Spent, sweaty, and satiated, Daryl lay down beside her, pulling her close against him as they watched the final few cars ease on past, the whistle only a whisper on the wind now. She kissed his chest, cradling her body against his. "I love you," he whispered into her hair.

She smiled, her fingers tracing a laybrith of patterns over his skin. "Yeah, I love you too."


	10. Much Ado About Nothing

**This prompt is going to be a full story. I just wanted to upload it here so no one was freaking out about why I skipped it. So! If you were really excited for this one, I'll be uploading it as a chapter for the story, be on the lookout for it. **

* * *

Much Ado About Nothing

Prolog

Beth sighed and stretched out on her couch as he phone rang. She glanced at the number and answered. "Hey sis, what's up?" she asked, flipping through the stations on her television.

"I've got some good news," Maggie said on the other end of the phone. That slightly piqued Beth's interest. "There's a movie that Rick is directing, you'd be perfect for the lead role."

"Oh?" Beth sat up and turned her television off. "Do you have a script?"

"I do, do you want me to email it to you?" she asked.

Beth smiled and went to her laptop. "Yeah, send it to me; I'll call you back after I look it over." Maggie agreed and hung up the phone. Beth logged into her email and printed out the script Maggie sent her. She sat on her couch with a glass of wine and flipped through the script. It looked like a good project. A love story between a guy and a girl who probably would never have met except they both missed a train one night. It seemed like a good story, and every teenage girl in America was going to want to see it. She sent her sister and manager a text, telling her to go ahead and set her up an audition.

…

Daryl huffed as he climbed off his motorcycle and headed down the street. Work wasn't going well lately and it was driving him crazy. He glanced at his phone when it started to ring. He quickly answered when he saw who it was. "Thank fuck, please tell me you have a job for me."

Rick laughed on the other end of the phone. "Yeah, man, I do." He huffed a little. "It's not a bad story and I'd love for you to come in and audition for it."

Daryl smirked a bit and stopped at a coffee shop to get his morning brew. "Yeah man, I haven't been working much." He ordered his coffee and paid for it before moving off to the side. "When do you want me to come in?" he asked.

"Tomorrow would be great; it's when we've got the bigger names coming in."

Daryl nodded at the barista and grabbed his coffee before walking back out. "Who're you looking at for the lead female role?" he asked.

"Well...I know Beth Greene is coming in." Daryl growled at her name. They did not get along, not at all. "Don't worry about it, there are others coming in too, but if you both get it, I want you play nice."

Daryl sighed and sat on a bench outside of the coffee shop. "Yeah, I'll try. Send me the script."

"Will do."

Daryl hung up the phone and sighed. He really hoped Beth didn't get the lead if he did. It would suck doing a whole movie with her. He didn't really know what it was, but they had never gotten along, ever. She was a sexy little thing, but it didn't matter, they hated each other. He sighed and opened up his email on his phone and started to read over the script. It was a typical chick flick, same old bullshit, but it was a job, and that was all that mattered to him.


	11. Little Sister

Little Sister

Beth swore as she drove her knife deep into a walker's skull. She was too tired for all of this. She'd been running for a while now, trying to get as far away from her captors as possible. They had claimed that they'd saved her life, but all they had really done was take her away from Daryl, and she was determined to get back. She just had to stay alive long enough.

And that was proving rather difficult with the amount of walkers on her. She quickly pulled her knife out of the dead walker's skull and kicked the one closes to her, knocking it to the ground. She backed up, trying to avoid as many as possible and just catch her breath for a minute. Only, she didn't see the walker behind her. Beth screamed and tried to pull away, tried to keep its teeth away from her flesh.

"Damn it girlie," a gruff, familiar voice swore. Beth's eyes went wide when the walker attacking her fell dead to the ground and she came face to face with the one man everyone thought was dead. He quickly dispatched the last three walkers before looking at her. "The hell you doin' out there all alone?" he demanded.

"Merle…" Beth just smiled and reacted without really thinking about what she was doing. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. All she could think about was how happy Daryl was going to be when they found him again. To her surprise, Merle didn't push her away like she'd expected. Instead, he wrapped his good arm around her and hugged back.

"Well hell, didn't know I'd be missed so much," he muttered. He pulled away just enough to look down at her. "What are you doin' out here?"

Beth frowned a little. "We lost the prison…"

She could see the anger and confusion rising inside of him. "What do you mean you lost the prison?" he asked through grinding teeth.

"The Governor attacked, her had daddy and Michonne as hostages." She shook her head, remembering everything in vivid detail. "Rick tried to talk him down, offered to share the prison. He…he killed daddy." Tears were welling up in her eyes and she tried to push them away. "Everyone attacked, they had a taken…people tried to get out but we all got separated." She looked up at him, meeting his eyes. "Daryl and I got out together."

Merle grabbed her shoulders with a bruising grip, glaring down at her. "Where is he?"

Beth shook her head. "I don't know, I was looking for him."

He growled. "What do you mean you don't know? You just said ya'll got out together."

"We did! We were at this house and walkers attacked…he told me to run…I got kidnapped." She shook her head a little bit and sighed. "I tried to get them off but they threw me in a car. I just managed to get away from them."

Merle sighed and rubbed his eyes. "How long ago was that?" he asked.

Beth frowned a bit and tried to remember. "Two days ago."

He nodded with another sigh and picked up the bag he'd dropped. "C'mon, if I know my baby brother half as well as I think, he'll be headin' for Terminus."

Beth followed him as he started walking, following the train tracks. "Terminus?" she asked.

"Don't tell me you haven't see any of the signs."

She shrugged her shoulder. "Daryl and I pretty much kept to the woods. The only reason we ended up at the house was because I sprained my ankle when he was giving me a tracking lesson." She hadn't been looking up; she'd been looking at the ground, trying to avoid holes so she wouldn't make her ankle worse. It still hurt. She ran into Merle's chest because he'd stopped and was staring down at her. "What?"

"Darlina was giving you tracking lessons?" he questioned. Beth nodded her head. "Go figure he'd go for the jailbait."

Beth huffed as they started walking again. "The hell does that mean?" she demanded.

Merle laughed and looked at her. "Daryl don't give trackin' lessons to just anyone princess. Yeah, I reckon you must be somethin' pretty special to him. Ya'll bump uglies yet?"

Beth blushed, she couldn't help it. "No, and I don't think we will."

Merle whistled and looked at her. "Don't count on it." He smirked a bit and looked at her. Beth just shook her head and sighed. Something had happened between them, only moments before the morgue had been attacked, but she couldn't say for sure what it was. She knew what she thought it was, and there was no denying it on her end. She felt something for Daryl, something along the lines of love that went deeper than a brother and sister kind of thing. She missed him, so much that her chest hadn't stopped hurting since she'd been taken. She knew Merle was watching her but she didn't care. They walked until it started to get dark.

Merle threw down his back and sat against a tree. "We'll make camp tonight," he told her. Beth nodded her head and started to gather firewood. She hadn't said anything since earlier. Wasn't really in the mood for talking anymore. She kept running through that night in her head, trying to figure out what Daryl had been trying to say when he'd just stared at her. He couldn't be in love with her, not really. She figured he was just acting differently because they'd had a little moment when they'd burnt down that old shack, and they were the only two there. It would have happened with anyone else he'd been with.

Beth was starving as she sat next to the fire Merle started with his old lighter and some dry leaves they'd found, and her stomach wasn't being quiet about it either. "When was the last time you ate?" Merle asked, looking at her.

She blushed a little. "The night I got kidnapped," she admitted. He dug around in his bag and pulled out an apple and tossed it to her. Her eyes got wide as she looked it over. It was still good, no brown or rotting spots on it. "Where did you find this?" she asked.

He smirked and pulled another one out of his bag along with a pocket knife and started to cut pieces off. "Found an orchard. There weren't many left, but there were a few good ones."

Beth smiled and took a bite and moaned, her eyes rolling. "I can't remember the last time I had something this good," she whispered, enjoying the crisp taste on her tongue.

Merle laughed and shook his head. "Well enjoy it, only got two more left." They ate in silence the rest of the night and when Beth had finished the fatigue that she'd been feeling intensified now that she had something in her belly. She yawned and knew he'd probably push her off, probably tell her to get the hell away, but she didn't care. She rested her head on Merle's shoulder and closed her eyes. If he cared she didn't know. She was asleep before she'd heard him react.

…

Beth sighed, she could hear voices but tried to go back to sleep. She was still exhausted. "So Daryl's still out there somewhere?" Her interest piqued, Beth cracked an eye. Carol, Tyreese, and Judith were sitting across from her at the fire.

"Far as we know. Figured he'd head to Terminus," Merle said above her. At some point she'd either moved, or Merle had moved her so her head was in his lap. Beth sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. "Mornin' princess."

Beth smiled and got up when Carol and Tyreese did, hugging them both before taking Judith from Tyreese and holding her close. "I'm so glad you're all okay," she said looking at them.

Carol smiled and nodded. "You too. Merle told us what happened." Beth blushed a little bit, looking at the older Dixon. She wondered just how much he'd told them. He just gave her a wink and stood up, pulling an apple from his bag and handing it to her before snuffing out the fire.

They started to follow the tracks again, but they walked in the woods, trying to keep out of sight, Merle thought it was best and no one disagreed with him. Beth just smiled at Judith who looked up at her and babbled. "I'm glad she's alright," she said looking up at Carol. "Rick would have died."

Carol nodded her head. "I found her with Tyreese," she said. Beth thought there was more to the story, but she didn't press for information. When Judith started to yawn they stopped for a moment so Beth could get her settled into the makeshift carrier on Tyreese's back before they continued. "How far away do you think we are?"

Merle shrugged. "If the maps are accurate, not far." He looked down at Beth. "Gonna go get your man," he teased, causing her to blush.

Tyreese raised a brow at them. "Somethin' happen between you and Daryl?" he asked.

Beth shook her head. "I honestly don't think so."

"Little brother was givin' her trakin' lessons and playin' house." Merle smirked and put his arm around her. "May be gettin' a little sister here soon."

Beth was mortified. There was no proof that anything was going on between herself and Daryl and she wished Merle would shut up. She was about to tell him to when they heard rapid gunfire. They all started running, not knowing if it was friend or foe. They reached a chain link fence and Beth covered her mouth, staring in horror as they watched Rick, Carl, Michonne, and Daryl being chased around what had to be Terminus. She wanted to kill someone, she wanted to run down there and get Daryl out. Merle sensed her anxiety and put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into him. "Don't look," he whispered. She buried her head in his chest, gripping his shirt, not wanting to see her family get shot. Not wanting to see Daryl get shot.

When the firing stopped and she heard a man giving orders she looked again. They were being forced into a train car. "Damn it," Carol swore and looked around. "We need to get them out of there."

Merle nodded. "We will. Ain't about to leave my baby brother in there." He leaned against a tree and sighed. "We need a plan though; they're heavily armed from the looks of it." His eyes scanned the ground around them before he smirked and started walking.

"Where are you going?" Tyreese asked.

Beth looked at the ground, noticing the faint foot prints. "He's tracking," she muttered, following the same clues he was, trying to remember what Daryl had shown her. She saw it before he did. "Merle!" She ran over and started to pull away the upturned earth.

"Good job princess." He knelt beside her and helped her pull the bag out. He whistled low when he opened it up. "Looks like Officer Friendly here left us a present." He pulled out guns and started handing them out until everyone was armed with at least three guns. He looked down at Beth after they decided to wait until nightfall, coming up with a semi decent plan, it was still a suicide mission, but it was the best they had. "You ready to get your man back?" he asked.

Beth wasn't going to deny it anymore. Daryl was hers, even if she wasn't his. "Hell yeah."

…

Beth followed Merle, keeping close to the wall of the building, covered in the shadows. Tyreese and Carol were close by, keeping look out for them in case someone came to check on the prisoners. Merle led her deeper into the city until they reached a picnic area. "You got the bag?" Merle asked looking at her. She nodded and handed it to him. "Good girl." Merle pulled out his lighter and smirked when he saw a can of gas fluid. He doused the bag in it and started to dump it all over the place. "You get ready to run back to that train car princess."

"I'm ready when you are." Beth pulled out her gun and got ready. Merle nodded and lit the bag on fire, dropping it. The fire quickly spread and they took off running back to the car. They were hoping that while everyone was busy trying to put the fire out they'd be able to get their people out. They could hear the screams from people as Merle climbed the stairs to the car and opened it up. Beth gasped when a bullet hit the ground beside them. She looked up and shot the man on top of the building aiming at them.

"Good shot princess." Merle pushed the door open and jumped down as Beth kept shooting people who came after them and as their people climbed out of the car he helped.

"Merle?" Daryl asked looking at the two of them. "What the hell is going on?" he asked.

"Not now little brother."

"Daryl, there's a gun on my hip," Beth told him. Merle handed out his extras to Rick and Carl while Daryl walked up behind her and slipped his hand around the gun, pulling it out. She felt his lips on her neck as he braced his arm on her shoulder and fired, handing another gun to Maggie. Beth bit her lip but kept fending off the people trying to kill them.

"Alright gals and pals, let's get the fuck outta here." Merle led them back to the fence where they'd cut a hole and left Judith, Carol and Tyreese joining them before they went through. Once they were safe on the other side Merle pulled his brother into a hug. "Good to see you."

Daryl hugged back and nodded his head. "Thought you were dead, jackass."

Merle chuckled and looked at Beth who blushed. "Nah, found little miss though."

Daryl turned and looked at her, eyeing her up. "What happened?" he asked.

Beth smiled and just shook her head. "Doesn't matter. We're all together again." Daryl smirked and pulled her into him, cupping the back of her head. "Daryl?" He didn't answer her; instead, he covered her lips with his and pulled her closer. Beth's blush intensified as she gripped his vest. He pulled away and put her arm around him as they started walking, getting as far away from Terminus as possible. Beth didn't know what was going to happen to the two of them, but she had him back, that was all that mattered to her.


	12. Alone in this Bed

**Just a quick note. The prompt list has been updated again, this time complete with the titles of each prompt. Enjoy. **

* * *

Alone in this Bed

He woke slowly, wanting desperately to go back to sleep, back to where she was. He knew she wasn't here, her body tucked against his, his arms wrapped around her. Daryl hated waking up without her every morning. Nothing about it felt fright. The bed was too big now, the sheets too cold. He stared across the empty expanse of bed, picturing her lying there beside him, her blonde hair a halo on his black sheets, her red silk night gown sin against her angelic skin. He hated this, and she'd only been gone for a week.

Every night he went to bed missing her so much his chest hurt. He'd messed up too much this time. It was his own fault. But as Daryl lay in bed, and waited for the alcohol to take over and drag him to sleep, he wished he could stay awake. Every night he dreamt of her, thought of her, thought about how life would be so much better if she was back with him. He wouldn't admit it to anyone else but himself, but he loved her, and it _hurt_ not having her there with him. That was part of the problem though. He'd never admit it, not even to her.

Sometimes, when he was really drunk, or too damn sober, he swore he could feel her, her arms wrapped around his waist, her breath on his neck as they slept together. He could wake from a dead, drunken sleep, and reach for her because it felt so real. Those nights were the worst. There would be hope in his heart as he reached through the cold sheets, searching for her. When he didn't find her, the hope shattered, replaced with anger, with torment, with rage at himself, at her for not trusting him, for not waiting. He couldn't blame her though…he'd fucked up.

He stared out through the window, looking up at all of those diamond like stars in the sky. He swore under his breath as he ran a hand through his hair. He had to be out of his damn mind. He didn't believe in god, didn't believe in anything anymore, not without her. But tonight…he was desperate tonight. He'd found a picture of her earlier he hadn't burned or thrown away yet. The regret was worse and as he stared up at the sky, at those stars, he prayed to a god he didn't believe in, trying to make a deal with him. After all of the shit that Daryl had endured through his life, his alcoholic, abusive father, his coked out brother, God owed him a favor. He needed Beth in his life, without her, he wasn't worth shit.

He tried to think of all the places she could have gone, all the places she'd talked about going to. He realized it didn't matter where she was, where she'd gone. He was going to fix this somehow; he was going to hold her again. He had to. He couldn't keep going on without her…

Three weeks, three weeks she'd been gone now and he was starting to lose hope. This was never going to end. He'd been hoping that time would make things better, that he'd eventually be able to get over her, but now he didn't think so. Everything hurt, he wasn't hardly sleeping anymore, he couldn't deal with the dream, couldn't deal with the pain anymore. He wasn't eating anymore either, not really. He was getting by on whatever he could scrounge up when his stomach demanded it, and a shit ton of alcohol. He was making the liquor store rich. Empty bottles were scattered around his house, everywhere from the kitchen to his bed.

He'd found a box of pictures earlier that day, and it was driving him crazy. He was sitting on his bed, a bottle of Jack, his second for the night, beside him, as he looked through them, only making things worse on himself. It was sadistic, what he was doing to himself. It didn't ease the pain in his chest. Her smiling face haunted him, staring up at him through those pictures.

He threw the box across the room, sending pictures flying all over, landing on the floor, on the bed. He drowned the rest of the bottle and threw it against the wall, the glass shattering. If he could figure out a way to make everything right, to fix everything he'd ever done, all of the promises he'd made and broken, she'd be here with him. She'd be back. He couldn't do this anymore. He blindly reached for his phone and looked down at the screen, stared at her contact page. He swore and put the phone away. He had no right, no right to talk to her.

He looked out at the stars again. "You're a fucking sadistic son of a bitch," he ground out, his anger at whoever was up there boiling over inside of him. After everything, after every fucking thing he'd had in his life, how could a _loving_ god take her away from him? It wasn't fucking fair. He got up and walked to the window, his boots crunching over broken glass and slipping on photos. "Bring her back you bastard," he growled out, not sure if it was the alcohol, or the desperation taking over. "You can't fucking take her from me. You fucking _owe _me." The scars on his back started to burn and itch. Yeah, he deserved something good in his life after everything. She was the something good he deserved.

He made a promise to himself. If God wasn't going to help him, he was going to do it himself, just like everything else in his life. He was going to get her back. She'd be his again, one day. He just had to get his shit together. He looked around his destroyed room and swore. He scrubbed his hands over his face and through his hair, pulling on it as he tried to figure out where to fucking start. He looked at his phone again. He knew exactly where to start.

He walked over and picked up the phone, staring down at her contact page again. They'd made so many plans together. They were going to get out of this shithole town. They were going to find someplace better, someplace where it was just the two of them. They were going to get married; something he'd never wanted to do until he'd met her. He opened up a new text message and typed in her name. His fingers were shaking as he stared down at the keyboard, trying to think of what he was going to say to her.

He typed four words. _Meet me in Grantsville._ That's where they'd always planned on going. It was a small town, and there was a ton of property for sale, everything they wanted. A new place, a secluded house, woods for him to hunt, a big back yard for her. He didn't know if she really would meet him there or not. He didn't care. He started to pack a bag, he didn't have much, but he packed up what he had. His phone lit up with a text message from her. Just one word, one question.

_Why?_

He shut his eyes, searching his heart, wracking his brain for a good enough reason. He only came up with one. His thumbs flew over the eyes, hoping this would work. If it didn't…he'd go anyways. Maybe getting away would help him forget.

_I want to hear your voice again Beth. I need to touch you. I'm going crazy. I know I fucked but I need you. I love you. I never told you. But I do. Too damn much. Don't leave me alone in this bed._

He stared at his phone. He wasn't going to look away. Not until he got a reply from her. When he finally did get it he nearly broke down and cried.

_What time?_


	13. Thick

**I just want to say thank you to everyone who commented and told me they didn't mind waiting for an update. It really means a lot that you guys would still love me even if it took me a week to get something up. It really means a lot that you guys support me like that and I love you for that. **

* * *

Thick

Beth bit her lip, watching Daryl work over the bolt in his hand, watched his fingers as he cleaned it. She was obsessed with his fingers; obsessed with what they could do to her, how they could make her feel. They were so damn thick, and he knew how to work them, how to curl them, how to stroke them against her. She felt the hunger stirring inside of her and crossed her legs, hoping it would help. Now was not the time, they were surrounded by the rest of the group. She tried to look away, tried to forget what he was doing, but it didn't work. Five seconds later she was looking at him again, watching his fingers work the old rag over the bolt, up and down, scrubbing, his nails picking dried blood off.

He glanced at her, catching her staring at him and he just smirked at her. "Something wrong?" he asked, leaning in closer. Beth shook her head, a heated blush coloring her face as she tried to look away from the intensity of his eyes. He was going to drive her crazy one of these days. "Oh really?" He stood up and took her hand, pulling her up with him.

"Where are you two going?" Rick asked as Daryl started to lead her away from the fire.

"Don't worry about it," Daryl called over his shoulder as he led Beth to their tent. She was chewing on her lip, blushing like a school girl as he ushered her inside and zipped up the flap behind him as he gently set his crossbow and bolts down. He crossed his arms and looked at her. "What's up?" he asked.

Beth looked at him, a little embarrassed to admit it. "You are," she said quietly. "You and your damn fingers."

He chuckled and closed the space between them, his fingers running down her bare arms with a feather light touch. Beth shivered and bit her lip, her back arching slightly as his tongue electrified her. "You like my fingers?" he asked, his voice a hushed whisper as they wrapped around her neck, his thumb tilting her head up so she was looking at him. "What about them?" His other hand that had disappeared, made it's reappearance on the waistband of her jeans, toying lightly with the button, freeing it from the mooring. His knuckled eased her zipper down, dragging against her skin. Beth bit her lip and whimpered, her hips arching into his touch, her hands fisting on his vest. "Can't tell me?" he teased.

Daryl gently laid her back against the blankets that served as a bed and stared down at her, easing her shirt and bra from her body. Beth licked her lip, staring up at him, her mouth gone dry as she ran her hands up his arms, around his neck, into his hair. His fingers traces a path over his collar bone, dragging down the slope of a breast, drawing tight little circles around her nipple, never touching it. Her back arched as the skin drew tight, her nipple puckering for him, begging for attention. He chuckled against her skin as she pulled against his hair, arching her back, trying to get him to touch it. "Quit teasing."

He smirked and looked up at her as he started to kiss a path lower, his fingers tracing a path down her skin to the waistband of her jeans, one hand slipping inside. Beth bit her lip when she felt his finger brush over her clit, sending electric shocks through her body. He didn't stop to tease her though, he moved lower, circling her opening, teasing her only for a moment before pushing inside. Beth bit her lip and let her head fall back on her shoulders, her body arching under him. He pushed and pulled, pumped his thick finger slowly, curling it inside of her, teasing her. "How's that?" he asked, curling his finger against that one spot inside of her that could make her scream.

Beth whined, her hips arching, rolling against his hand. "More, I need more," she begged, tugging on his hair, the blankets under her, anything she could get a hold of. She needed more, needed that friction he could give her, she needed to be filled. She felt him smirk against her thigh but she didn't care as he eased two more of his fingers inside of her to join the first. She moaned, closing her eyes tightly as her body sang for him. He stretched her perfectly as he jackknifed his hand against her, his fingers a piston in and out of her as he drove her closer and closer to the edge.

"You gonna come for me, Beth?" he asked against her neck, picking up the pace with his fingers, driving them in and out of her. She couldn't answer, she couldn't breathe. It wasn't enough, it was too much. Her body tensed up as she came, her body shaking, her breath seizing up in her lungs as she clawed at the ground under her. Daryl gently eased her down before pulling his fingers free from her and licking them clean. "I love watching you do that," he whispered, lying his body down beside hers.

Beth rolled over and kissed him, pressing her body against his. "I love it when you make me do that," she whispered before reaching for his jeans. It was time for her to give him something to whine about.


	14. Performance

Performance

Daryl growled and sat up, running a dirty hand through his unruly hair. This was _not_ okay. Beth frowned a little and covered her bare tits as she sat up and looked at him. "Daryl is everything alright?" she asked, looking worried.

He nodded and kissed her again. He had no idea what his fucking problem was. He had a sexy woman in front of him, naked, and wanting him to fuck her pretty little brains out, and he couldn't get hard. This had to be some kind of twisted joke. He didn't have problems like this, not when every other night he was making her scream and waking the whole dame campsite. He grabbed one of her hands and guided it to his cock, hoping maybe if she was touching him it would help.

Beth moaned into the kiss as she stroked him and he thrust into her hand. It wasn't working. He growled again and sat back on his knees when she pushed him off, taking his soft cock into her mouth. Not even a blowjob was working and he was just getting pissed off. "Fuck it, Beth, ain't gonna happen," he snapped, pulling away from her and fixing his clothes.

She looked up at him. "It's not that big of a deal Daryl, we don't have to have sex every night," she told him, trying to make him feel better. It wasn't helping. He lay down beside her as she got dressed and curled against his side. "It's really okay."

He huffed and ran a hand through his hair. "If you say so."

She smiled a bit and kissed him. "I do say so."


	15. PDA

PDA

They honestly didn't know how they managed to get caught all the fucking time. They weren't huge on public displays of affection, Daryl was shy by nature, and Beth, well, she was still inexperienced and didn't think they needed to flash their relationship around camp. They always tried to hide, always tried to keep their private moments private, but it never failed. Every time they tried to sneak away to be alone together, they managed to get caught. The first time had been just after Terminus. They were over near the vehicles they'd picked up while everyone else had been eating dinner around the fire. They weren't doing anything really, just kissing. But it was some really great kissing. Daryl had Beth pressed up against a truck, his fingers tangled in her hair, her hands wrapped around his wrists as he kissed her, ground his hips against hers. Carl had caught them. He'd came to find them to see if they were actually planning on eating that night. They'd both blushed and nodded, following him to the fire.

The second time had been not long after that. They thought everyone was asleep. They were supposed to be on watch. Beth had been cold. They really didn't have much in the way of warm clothing yet, but Daryl had his poncho back thanks to Glenn. He'd pulled her into his lap and wrapped it around her as they sat against a tree. Well, one thing had led to another and they had started to kiss again. Beth was straddling his hips, her fingers running through his hair as their hips rocked against each other. Daryl had just been ready to take her shirt off, to move things along, when Rick had walked up and cleared his throat. Blushing and completely mortified at getting caught like a couple of teenagers who couldn't keep it in their pants, Beth and slowly climbed off of Daryl and sat back down against the tree as Rick walked off.

The third time was probably the worst. Daryl found Beth sitting under a tree away from the others. They didn't have plans to meet that he knew of. She was just sitting there, staring off into space. He'd been out hunting most of the day and had felt a little bad that he hadn't waited for her to wake up so he could take her with him. She loved going hunting with him, and she was getting pretty damn good at tracking. He walked over and sat down beside her, laying his crossbow beside him on the ground. "Everything okay?" he asked. Not like he could do much about it anyways. Yeah, he loved Beth, but he wasn't good at consoling.

She shrugged her shoulders a bit and looked at him. "Maggie told us she's pregnant this morning."

Daryl had two theories about that. She was either upset that her sister as having a baby and her daddy wouldn't be around to see it. He still remembered what she said that night they'd gotten drunk on moonshine. Or, she was jealous. He knew how badly she wanted a baby. He looked at her, trying to get a read off of her, trying to figure out which one it was but he couldn't. He sighed and pulled her onto his lap so she was facing him. "You want a baby?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Not right now." She smiled a little, running her fingers through his hair. "I mean, I do want to have at least one baby someday, and I do love you, but, this is still new. I want to enjoy that."

Daryl ran his fingers through her hair and pulled her down, kissing her. In all honesty, he wasn't ready for a baby yet either. Having kids scared the shit out of him. The last thing he wanted was to end up like his own father. Beth moaned softly against his lips as her hands wrapped around his neck and she pressed a little closer against him. Daryl's hands smoothed down her body, loving the way she arched for him as he cupped her ass, guiding her hips in a rocking motion against his own. He knew they should probably move this to the tent, but hell if he cared. He wasn't going anywhere, not when he had his woman on top of him. The others were preoccupied anyways. He worked his hands under her shirt, pushing it off her body as he felt her creamy skin under his hands.

Beth must have been thinking along the same lines because as soon as her shirt hit the ground she was pulling his off his arms, taking his vest along with it. Daryl looked up into her stormy eyes, her tangles of blonde curls framing her face. She smiled at him, gave him a questioning look. He just shook his head and pulled her down for another kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. Beth moaned against him, her hands running up and down his chest as she started rocking her hips again.

He was about to reach for her jeans when they heard the groans of the dead behind them. They'd been so caught up in each other they hadn't been paying attention. The walker came out of the woods and headed right for them. Beth grabbed her knife off of her hip and buried it deep into the walker's head as five more came stumbling out. Daryl picked up his crossbow and grabbed her hand, dragging her back to camp. There was no way they were going to take out the five of them and the six more he could see still in the tree line.

"What the hell are you two doing?" Rick asked when they ran back to camp.

Daryl swore, realizing that neither one of them had a shirt on. "Forget about that, we got walkers," he grunted, loading a bolt into his bow. The others let it drop until the walkers had been taken care of.

"Seriously you guys," Glenn said shaking his head, "you can't hold off on fucking for ten minutes?"

"You're one to talk," Daryl snapped, blushing just as badly as Beth. Why were they the ones that always got caught? He grabbed Beth's hand and led her back to their tent so they could put some clothes on.

"We always get caught," she muttered as she walked inside and grabbed one of the only remaining shirts she had left. Daryl hummed as he pulled one on. He swore remembering his vest was still where he'd left it. He'd have to go and get it. She turned and looked at him. "Why do we always get caught?"

He smirked a little and pulled her into him, now that they were in the privacy of their tent. "Because I just can't keep my hands off of you." He nuzzled her neck, kissing the skin. "Cause my eyes are the only thing I don't wanna take off of you."


	16. Hell No

Hell No

He watched with careful eyes as the little punk walked over to Beth. He didn't know what it was but every twenty-something with a dick they found at Terminus and helped rescue seemed to want to get with Beth. What they couldn't seem to understand was that Beth was claimed. They'd only been out of Terminus for two weeks and he'd already chased three different boys away. Beth didn't seem to mind the attention but Daryl was going to kill someone soon.

He sighed when it looked like they were just going to talk and went back to skinning and cleaning the squirrels he'd shot earlier that morning. At least, that was the plan until he saw something from the corner of his eyes. The boy had Beth pinned against a tree and was kissing her. "Oh, hell no," Daryl growled, getting up and stalking over. He knew Rick and Michonne were watching, waiting to intervene if necessary. Daryl walked over and grabbed the kid by the scruff of his shirt and hauled him away from Beth. "Boy, you just signed your death certificate," he ground out.

Beth put a hand on his arm. "Daryl, it's alright," she said softly, running her hand down his arm until their fingers laced. "C'mon, let's go." She gently pulled him away. Daryl looked at the kid as he pulled Beth into him and kissed her hard, smirking when she moaned and her eyes drifted shut.

He pulled away slowly. "You best tell all your little friends that Beth is off limits," he warned before pulling her back over to the squirrels. She sat down in his lap as he worked around her, finishing up.

"I love it when you get like that," she whispered, turning her head and kissing his neck.

He smirked and looked at her. "They need to learn. You're claimed."


	17. Pregnancy Test

Pregnancy Test

Daryl was sorting through the things they'd picked up on the run he and Michonne had gone on. She'd offered to help but he'd told her to take it easy. Every now and then he needed alone time, just time to be, so she hadn't argued and had gone to find Rick. He stared to put things into piles. When he came across the pregnancy test his heart stopped. He didn't know they'd gotten one. His eyes looked over at Beth. There was no way she was pregnant. She couldn't be. He grabbed the test and walked over to her, pulling her away from Maggie and Carl.

"Daryl? What's going on?" she asked. He didn't answer, not until they were away from the others. He couldn't deal with her being pregnant. Couldn't deal with losing her the way Rick lost Lori. He'd break. "Daryl, you're scaring me."

He turned and looked at her, holding up the pregnancy test. "What the hell is this?" he asked.

Beth shook her head. "It's not for me, how would I know?"

Daryl looked at her closely, judging her reaction. "Are you sure?" She nodded her head slowly. He released a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him. "Sorry," he muttered.

She wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. "S'okay."

"Just can't stand losin' you."


	18. Advice

Advice

Daryl watched her walk off, upset and hurt. They'd been "together" since Terminus, if you could call it that. Hell, he didn't know what the fuck they were doing anymore. They fucked, a lot, and he knew he loved her, but fuck, he didn't know how to show that. He didn't know how to be a boyfriend, didn't know how to do the romance bullshit girls seemed to like. He wasn't used to it. All he'd ever known were girls you could pick up at a bar and have a drunken one night stand with and then they'd be gone the next day. He knew it was getting hard for her to be with him, but he honestly didn't know what to do.

He sighed, running a hand through his hand and walked off to find Rick. The guy had been married for at least ten years; he had to have some kind of advice. He found him with Michonne near their own tent, rocking Judith who was teething. "Hey Rick, can I talk to ya for a minute?" he asked. He felt so weird; he wasn't used to asking for help.

Rick looked up at him and nodded. "Yeah, what's up?" he asked.

"Beth an' I…we're not doin' good." He ran a hand through his hair and shifted awkwardly on his feet.

Rick passed Judith to Michonne before wrapping an arm around Daryl's shoulders and leading him off. "Let's go for a walk." He waited until they were well away from the others before he asked what had happened. Daryl explained how they'd gotten into a fight because apparently it was their anniversary, they'd been together for a year, but Daryl hadn't known, hadn't been paying attention and that had upset Beth. He'd never had a reason to celebrate anything before, not Christmas, not his own birthday, nothing. Rick nodded his head a little and sighed. "I remember the first and only time I forgot mine and Lori's anniversary." He laughed a little, remembering the past life. "I slept on the couch for three days before she forgave me."

"What'd you do?" he asked.

Rick looked at him as they made their way around fallen down trees. "I brought home roses every night." He laughed a little. "She'll cool down; you just have to give her time. Beth's still young, but she's smart. She'll come around."

"You sure about that?" Daryl asked. She'd seemed pretty damn mad.

Rick nodded his head. "Oh yeah, just give her time, and I'd be extra nice if I were you."

Daryl nodded his head as they headed back. He could do that. He hated the fact that he'd upset her. He didn't like making her upset, but he was still adjusting to this. Yeah, it'd been a year, but he was working against thirty-five years of experience of living in hell. He wasn't going to change easily. It was going to take time. He found her near their tent. He walked over and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against him. "I'm sorry," he whispered against her shoulder, smiling a bit when her hands slowly covered his.

"Me too, shouldn't have gotten mad," she whispered. "Things like that don't matter anymore."

Daryl turned her around in his arms and looked down at her. "They do." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "They do, and I should'a been payin' attention." He looked down into her storm blue eyes. "Forgive me?"

She smiled and leaned up, kissing him. "Always."


	19. Walking Funny

Walking Funny

Rick's eyes narrowed as he looked over at the blonde as she emerged from her tent. She seemed to be limping slightly and he saw the look Daryl gave her. He walked over to the two of them as they got ready to go hunting, something they'd started doing together after their time alone after the prison fell. Rick had a feeling that something more was going on between the two of them and he was about to find out. "Hold up you two," he called out before they could head off into the woods. They turned and looked at him. "What's going on with you two, and why is she walkin' funny?" he asked, crossing his arms. It paid to be a cop; he still had a lot of his skills.

He saw the blush start to cover Beth's face as she looked at Daryl for help. "She twisted her ankle yesterday while we were hunting," Daryl said, and from his tone Rick could tell he didn't buy the lie either.

"Mhm," Rick hummed. "Tell me why I don't believe you?" Rick smirked a bit, knowing that they were both caught.

"Not my problem," Daryl muttered.

Rick shook his head. "I won't tell anyone, but you may want to come up with a better lie." Beth muttered a quick thank you before she and Daryl took off to go hunting.


	20. Vegetarian

Vegetarian

Beth frowned, the smell of the squirrel Daryl was cooking over a fire making her stomach churn. She'd been a vegetarian for almost ten years, even after the turn she'd still been able to keep that lifestyle while living on the farm. But now that they'd lost the farm it wasn't as easy. Daryl was the only one who seemed to be concerned about it. While everyone else was trying to make sure Lori was getting enough food for her and the baby, Daryl had taken one of the squirrels and pulled her to the side, building his own fire away from the others. He'd told her she couldn't keep living on plants, especially when they didn't know what was poisonous and what wasn't. It wasn't that she was huge on animal rights or anything like that, she lived on a farm, she just couldn't stand the smell of cooking meat; it made her want to vomit. Daryl pulled the meat off of the fire and handed her a piece. "Just take it slow," he told her, picking off a small piece. Beth frowned but took it from him and slowly brought it up to her mouth. It didn't taste horrible as she chewed it slowly. Daryl watched her, gauging her reaction, ready to save her if she started to choke or vomit. She swallowed slowly and looked at him. "There, not so bad, right?"

Beth nodded a little. "Not too bad," she agreed. Daryl nodded and handed her another smaller piece. Beth smiled a little taking it from him. "Thank you." He just shrugged a bit and kept handing her small pieces. Beth felt safe with Daryl and as long as he was taking care of her, she didn't care what he fed her.


	21. Through the Door

Through the Door

Beth sighed, resting her head against the wooden door, Judith in her arms, asleep, while the other kids ran around, trying to find some way to keep themselves entertained in the second of the prison they were sealed off in. Beth didn't mind staying with them, someone needed to, and honestly, watching them helped her forget what was going on sometimes. There was a knock on the other side of the door. "Beth?" She smiled a little hearing Daryl's voice.

"Yeah?" she called back.

"Bout to go on a run," he said. She heard him lean against the door, sliding down it until he was sitting on the floor like she was. She wished she could feel him. "You alright in there?" he asked.

"Yeah, we're all okay. Judith is teething so that's fun," she sighed. She rested her head back again and turned it a little. "Be safe, okay?"

"Always. I'll be back before you know it. Once we get our people healed we'll get you outta there."

"Wanna hug you," she whispered, not even sure he could hear her through the crack in her voice as tears stung her eyes.

"Me too baby."


	22. Do You

Do You?

Daryl looked down at the tug he felt on his pant leg. One of the little kids that had recently joined the group was staring up at him with big doe eyes. "What's up munchkin?" Daryl asked, crouching down. He didn't really like kids, at least not kids that weren't Carl or Judith, but he wasn't gonna be an ass.

"Mr. Dixon, do you wove Miss Bef?" the small boy asked.

Daryl blinked a few times. "What?"

"Miss Bef, do you wove her?"

How old was this kid? Geeze. Daryl ran a hand through his hair and sighed. Yeah he loved Beth, but she was the only one who was supposed to know that. "Where's this comin' from?"

The little boy grinned. "You always 'round her, and smilin', and laughin'. You're Wobin Hood and she's a pwincess."

Daryl shook his head and couldn't help the grin on his face. He picked the small boy up and looked at him with a serious face. "I'm gonna tell you a secret, but you can't tell anyone alright?" He nodded his head, his eyes getting bigger as he waited for the secret. "I do love Beth, but you can't tell anyone."

"How come?"

"Because if the evil witch found out, she'd try to kill me," Daryl answered, playing along with the fairytale set up the kid had come up with.

He gasped and looked over at Maggie and Daryl had to fight the reaction to laugh his ass off. Yeah he supposed Maggie could be an evil witch sometimes. "I won't tewll."

"Good." Daryl put him down. "Now go play." He shook his head watching the little kid run off.

"What was that all about?" Beth asked, walking to stand next to him.

"Apparently you're a princess, I'm Robin Hood, and you're sister is an evil witch." He looked at her and shook his head. "I'll explain later," he told her.


	23. Kitten

Kitten

Laundry had to be one of her least favorite things to do. She hated it. But it needed to get done, and if that's how she was able to help out, then she would do it. She separated the clothes and began checking pockets. She pulled an old, abused leather wallet from a pair of Daryl's jeans. As she was moving it to an old tree stump it slipped from her hand and fell open. Sighing, she bent down and picked it up. She looked at the picture that was tucked inside. She smiled, looking at the little black kitten. She flipped to another picture; it looked like the same kitten, just a little older. Daryl must have had five pictures of the same kitten. She smiled putting the wallet down so she could finish the laundry. So, Daryl liked cats apparently. Beth stated to get an idea while she washed laundry.

…

Daryl was lying in his tent, staring up at the ceiling. He'd fucked up his ankle while out hunting and tripping over some vines that he hadn't seen while tracking a deer. Rick wouldn't let him do shit until his ankle was better and not only did he feel useless, but he was bored out of his mind. "Daryl?" He looked over seeing Beth poke her head into the tent. "Can I come in?" she asked. He nodded and watched her walk in and knelt beside of him. "I have something for you," she told him, reaching into her coat. He watched her, wondering what she had in there. His eyes widened a little when he saw the little black kitten with a white diamond on its forehead and put it on his chest. It looked just old enough to be on its own. "I found her on the run earlier. She was alone."

Daryl stroked the kitten's head with his finger. It purred as it curled up on his chest. "Thanks," he said looking at Beth. "How'd you know?"

She smiled and shrugged. "I saw some pictures in your wallet while I was doing laundry." She hugged her knees, watching them. Daryl smiled a little and watched the kitten fall asleep on his chest. He loved cats, always had. "What are you going to name her?" Beth asked.

Daryl shrugged a little. "Dunno, you got any suggestions?"

She smiled a little. "Bright Eyes."

Daryl chuckled. "I like it." He looked over at Beth. "Thanks, Beth."

She smiled and kissed his cheek. "No problem."


	24. Grumpy

Grumpy

Daryl's head was throbbing, every time he stood up or sat down, or moved weird it only got worse. No one was helping his situation either. Everything that needed to be done seemed to be something only he could do. All he wanted to do was climb into his tent and pull something over his head and go to sleep until the headache went away. He was so close, about to pull open the flap when Beth stopped him. "Daryl?" she asked softly which he was grateful for. He didn't answer but he did at least turn to look at her. "You're head okay?" she asked.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He just wanted this day to end. "No, it's fuckin' not."

"Can I help?"

Daryl's temper was starting to get the best of him. He knew she meant well but that was one of the stupidest fucking question he'd heard all damn day. "No you can't fuckin' do anythin' what kind of stupid question is that?" he snapped. Beth stuttered, her eyes going wide. He shook his head and growled. "Don't be so damn stupid." He watched her walk off, tears in her eyes but he honestly didn't care at that moment, not when his head was throbbing and he could feel the blood rushing through his veins. He walked into his tent and quickly fell asleep, knowing that he'd have to find her later to apologize, because later he would care.

…

Beth was sitting in her tent, writing in her journal. Daryl had gotten her another one when he'd been out on a run to replace the one she'd lost. She knew it wasn't his fault that he snapped at her. He'd been in pain and had probably just wanted to sleep and she hadn't helped at all by keeping him awake any longer. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, trying to untangle the mess.

She looked up when Daryl pulled back the flap of her tent and looked in at her. "You busy?" he asked. Beth shook her head and scooted over to make room for him. She didn't have a large tent, but at least she had one to herself. She looked up at Daryl as he stared at his lap. "Sorry, bout earlier," he muttered.

Beth smiled a little and looked at him. "It's okay, Daryl, you didn't feel good."

"Still feel like an ass."

She reached over and kissed his cheek. "Honestly, it's okay." He blushed a little and looked at her, nodding. Beth smiled and went back to writing. Daryl didn't leave though. He laid back beside her, one leg bent, one arm behind his head, the other over his chest. She smiled and glanced at him as he stared up at the ceiling. While Beth wrote she hummed softly. She loved nights like this with him. They never said anything, but they really didn't need to.


	25. Her Coffee, His Cigarettes

Her Coffee, His Cigarettes

She frowned down into her coffee, watched the steam trails rise off of it before evaporating into the air. She'd been sitting there since he'd walked out twenty minutes ago. They'd had a horrible fight. It had started with the money issue which just led to getting married, and babies, and it had only gotten worse and worse the more they fought. She didn't think he was coming back, not this time. Tears slipped from her eyes as she thought about everything she'd screamed at him, everything she wished she could take back. She wiped her eyes and noticed that the steam trails from her coffee had faded. It'd gotten cold…and he still didn't miss her. She started to wonder if he ever would.

…

He was ten cigarettes deep; he'd just opened the fucking pack an hour ago. He was chain smoking. He hated fighting with her but how the hell was he supposed to go back home? They'd both said some pretty nasty things, but he shouldn't have told her that she was holding him back, that she wasn't any good for him. If anything it was the other way around. He flicked his cigarette off the side of the bridge and pulled another from his pack and put it between his lips, lighting it. He was hoping that all of the nicotine in his system would help him forget the best damn thing in his life.


	26. First Impressions

First Impressions

Beth rested her head against Daryl's shoulder as they sat down and got comfortable for the night in the back of the Chevy bed. They had watch tonight and instead of standing on their feet all night they'd decided to drive one of the trucks to the perimeter where they had the best vantage point and they'd watch from the back. She sighed a little and looked up at Daryl. He'd been so rude and hotheaded when they'd first met, he'd never let her cuddle up to him like this. It made her laugh a little. "What's so funny?" he asked, looking down at her.

"You." She shook her head and sighed. "You were so mean when we first met, now look at you." She looked up at him.

Daryl shrugged his shoulders a little and looked at her. "Yeah well, people change." He smirked a bit. "You sure as hell have."

"What do you mean?"

He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her a little closer. "When we first met, hell I don't even remember much of you from the farm. I just remember this little blonde girl who nearly got eaten by her mamma and then went catatonic, then nearly killed herself. Honestly, I didn't think you were gonna make it. Now look at you." Beth knew he had a point. There had been a time back then she didn't think she was going to make it either. "You're here, more than that you got away from some psychos all by yourself."

She smiled a little. "You've changed too. Never would have let someone in like you let me in back then." Beth kissed his cheek as they got comfortable and smiled. "We're both here though, we made it this far."

Daryl nodded his head against hers as he sighed. "Yeah, we have."


	27. Thunder and Lightning

Thunder and Lightning

Daryl grunted and rolled over, draping his arm, expecting it to fall across Beth, so when it didn't he was thoroughly confused. He cracked an eye and searched the tent, thinking maybe she just couldn't sleep and was up doing something. She wasn't anywhere to be seen. He sighed noticing her boots were gone. He pushed the blanket off of his body and pulled his own boots on before climbing out of the tent and looking around the camp for his woman. He found her sitting in the back of a truck bed watching a storm roll in, if his eyes were still as good as they used to be it was ten miles out. He climbed into the back of the truck with her and looked at her. This wasn't the first time this had happened. For some reason he couldn't understand, Beth adored thunderstorms, she loved to watch them roll in. He swore, if they were anywhere near a lake she'd never want to leave. He had to admit, there'd been a time or two he'd gone out to the lake near his hometown just to watch a storm come in over the waves.

"How come you like storms so much?" he asked.

She shrugged her shoulders and rested her head against his shoulder. "They calm me down." She sighed a little. "I like watching the lightning, watching the patterns it makes." She looked up at him. "Is that weird?"

Daryl shrugged his shoulders. "Probably not." He wrapped an arm around her as the wind picked up. The storm was coming in fast; they'd have to take shelter in their tent again before real long. He looked down at her but he had her eyes set on the thunderheads in the distance. He smiled a bit and looked over at the storm as it tore its way through Georgia. Their relationship was a little like a storm he realized. They could tear into each other like the way lightning tore through the sky, but as soon as the rain faded they were calm and gentle. And honestly, he wouldn't have it any other way.


	28. Comfort

Comfort

Daryl's nerves seemed to calm a little as they pulled into camp. It had been a dangerous run, really, really dangerous. He and Michonne had nearly bit it back there. They'd been clearing out a small grocery store of everything they could, grabbing anything that had been left behind. They'd thought they'd cleared the whole thing out but they'd been ambushed by three dozen walkers that had been in the back. They'd barely gotten out. At one point he'd been pinned down, trying to keep one walker off of him while three more were quickly closing in. He could still feel the hot, rotting breath; the hairs on his arms were standing on end like he could still feel the teeth about to sink into his flesh.

As soon as the car stopped he climbed out, leaving his crossbow behind as his eyes locked on Beth. He walked straight towards her. Daryl dropped to his knees in front of her and wrapped his arms around her waist, hiding his face in the soft flesh of her belly. She gasped and stared down at him. He knew they probably all were. No one, not even Beth who he loved more than anything was used to seeing this side of him. But he needed this. After what happened earlier, he just needed to hold her. He felt her arms tangle in her hair and she bent, her lips kissing his head. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," she whispered back, wrapping her arms around his neck. Daryl closed his eyes and just held onto her. Nothing else mattered in that moment.


	29. Distracted

Distracted

Daryl looked over when he heard Beth laugh. She was playing with Judith who had just started to learn how to walk. He smiled a bit to himself. Beth was holding Judith up by her little hands and following her around wherever she wanted to go. It was cute. He was walking backwards so he could watch his adorable girlfriend and his best friend's daughter as he made his way to the woods, but he wasn't paying attention and walked straight into a giant spider web. He let out a high pitch scream that sounded more at home in the throat of a fourteen year old girl. Everyone looked over as he started to pull the sticky web off of him.

"Daryl, you okay there?" Rick asked.

"Fine," Daryl grunted. "Just walked into a spider web."

"So you screamed?" Glenn asked.

"Shut up."

Glenn smirked. "I'm thinking five years old, oh yeah I can see it, braids and a little frilly dress."

Daryl glared at Glenn. "You're gonna see my fist in your face if you don't shut the fuck up."

Glenn laughed and walked off as Beth walked over, carrying Judith. "You okay babe?" she asked.

Daryl huffed and looked down at her. "All your fault," he muttered.

"How is it my fault?"

Daryl smirked and pulled her into him. "You were distracting me."

Beth blushed a little and looked up at him. "Well, I'm sorry."

He smirked a little and kissed her. "Just make it up to me later."


	30. Cussing

Cussing

"Son of a bitch!" Everyone looked over at the fire where Beth was working on removing the skin from the squirrels Daryl had shot earlier that morning. Everyone seemed to be so surprised when Beth swore, mainly because it didn't happen often. Daryl was sitting beside her, smirking. They all thought of her that same little girl back at the farm house so whenever she exhibited adult behavior they were caught off guard. Daryl on the other hand found it slightly amusing, not to mention a huge turn on.

He watched Beth finish up with the squirrels, waited until she handed it off to Carol, before he grabbed her hand pulled her towards their tent, following her inside. "What's wrong?" she asked, looking up at him.

Daryl shook his head and pulled her into him, nuzzling her neck. "Nothing, just turned on," he smirked, nipping at her skin. She smirked a little and pressed against him, running her fingers through his hair.

"You like it when I swear?" she asked, looking up at him. Daryl smirked and nodded, fisting his hand in her hair and kissing her. Beth smirked a bit. Yeah, she knew Daryl liked it when she swore; he liked it when she talked dirty too. She smirked and let him push her down to their pillows and blankets. Sometimes she did it just to get some time alone with him.


	31. Make Love

Make Love

Something was different about the way Daryl was holding her. Beth was used to sex with Daryl, but it was usually rough, rushed, all about the need for each other. This, this was different. She didn't understand why, but as he gently swept her hair away from her face and kissed her neck, his hands trailing a labyrinth across her skin with his fingertip, she didn't care. He traced a path down her chest with his lips, his arms wrapping around her waist, holding her close to him. Beth ran her fingers through his hair, arching her back as he ignited her skin and created a livewire of her nerve endings. This wasn't sex as he slowly rocked against her body, as he held her close and took care of her. He wasn't fucking her to get some satisfaction for the both of them like they usually did. He was making love to her, slow, sweet, passionate, saying everything he wanted to with his body that he couldn't voice. He was telling her, showing her how much she meant to him and that brought a tear to her eye when she realized it. She pulled his head up and kissed him as he moved within her, his hands always on her, his forehead resting against hers. Beth wrapped her arms around his neck as they reached the euphoric place together and his arms wrapped a little tighter around her waist, hugging her close to him as they rested against the blankets, sweat drying and cooling on their heated skin. She pressed her lips against his chest, over his heart. "I love you too."


	32. Secret Tattoo

Secret Tattoo

Daryl smirked a bit when he saw the stark black against the pale skin of his blonde lover. She'd been wearing shirts with sleeves so much he hadn't realized it until now. She probably figured that since her daddy was gone it didn't matter anymore. He walked over and started to trace the ink with his finger, finding it highly amusing that sweet, innocent Beth Greene had a secret tattoo he doubted even her past boyfriends knew about. "What's this?" he questioned when she looked at him over her shoulder.

She shrugged a little, glancing down at the heart with the music note piercing it. "I wanted to get one when I turned eighteen, but I wanted something I would want to have for the rest of my life, this made the most sense." She looked up at him.

"How come you kept it hidden?" he asked. "Didn't want everyone to know you're not the sweet little girl they think you are?"

She smirked a bit and turned around, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Maybe I was just waiting for the right guy to come along and show me that ink is sexy." Daryl chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close.

"Yeah baby, ink is sexy."


	33. Damn

Damn

Daryl was standing around the vehicles with the rest of the men when a laugh caught his attention and he looked over at Beth. She was sitting near the fire with Maggie and Judith. He watched the way her eyes lit up when she smiled at the little girl, the way she tucked a few strands of stray hair behind her ear. Watched the way she looked over at him for a moment, giving him that smile she kept just for him before looking back at Judith. She'd come in out of nowhere and not only made him a better man, but that little blonde had stolen his heart, body, and soul. He didn't know what he would do if he didn't have her in his life. Honestly, he didn't know how he'd gotten along this long without her in his life. She was the light in the darkness for him, a beacon of hope that he followed relentlessly. She kept his head right. He shook his head when Rick asked if something was wrong. He started to turn his attention back to the group leader who had been talking about going on a run the next day. _Damn, I really love her._


	34. All Alone

All Alone

Beth was crying, he had no doubt in his mind that she was in pain. He just hoped he'd practiced enough to be able to do this. He knew it'd been stupid, having unprotected sex with her. Now they were both suffering the consequences. She was ready to deliver their baby, and he was scared shitless because he really had no idea what the fuck he was doing. He was crouched between her legs, while she bit down on a rag inside of the rundown house they'd found. She was trying to keep quiet, trying not to attract any walkers. "Beth, baby, I don't know what I'm doing," he told her. She reached out and took his hand, squeezing it and nodding her head.

He grabbed the blanket they'd found and washed about fifty times and made sure the water was getting warm before he looked back. Beth was staring to push. This was it. Their baby was coming and there was nothing they could do to stop it. In that moment, Daryl prayed to a god he didn't believe in and begged him to keep Beth and the baby alive through this. Beth screamed into the rag she was biting down on as she pushed and Daryl saw the tiny head appear. "C'mon baby, you got this," he told her, getting a warm, wet rag ready. Before he really knew what was going on, he was holding his son in his arms, cleaning him off as Beth panted against the bed she was lying in.

He slowly stood up and walked around the side of the bed, gently placing him in Beth's arms. He bent and kissed her head, getting a clean rag and wiping the sweat from her skin. "I love you," he whispered, nuzzling her head as they both looked down at their son.

"I love you too," she whispered back.


	35. Claimed

Claimed

Beth sighed as she finished hammering a board into the wall. They'd found an abandoned garage they were going to hold up in for the night. They both missed the morgue, but after it had been attacked by those walkers they couldn't stay there. She looked over at Daryl as he finished with his own window. It was obvious something had happened between them, but they hadn't really talked about it. Beth wanted to, but she also didn't want to bring it up and have him get angry with her, or worse, pull away.

She walked over to one of the cars and opened it up. She doubted there was any gas left, but maybe they could find some supplies. She jumped when she felt Daryl's hands on her arms. Slowly she turned around and looked up at him. He stared down at her with those blue diamond eyes, his hands slid from her arms to her waist as he pulled her against him. Beth licked her lips slowly and she saw something flash in his eyes before he dipped his head and kissed her.

Beth was more than a little surprised that Daryl was making the first move, but she wasn't complaining. She moaned softly into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself closer against him. She had butterflies in her belly and he nerve endings were on fire as he cupped her ass in his hands and lifted her off the ground. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her over to their blankets and gently laid her down. She knew where this was going and she was more than ready for that.

Beth moaned as Daryl started to kiss her neck, his hands slowly pushing up her shirt. Butterflies were swarming in her belly as she felt his big hands on her skin. She pulled his shirt off, the soft, slow touching quickly turning needy and heated. "I need you," he whispered, his hips rocking against hers. Beth gasped and arched, her hips rocking against his, his erection pressing against her. Beth lifted her hips to help Daryl get her jeans off. She'd been with Zach and Jimmy, but they hadn't made her feel like this.

Daryl wrapped his hands around her hips and lifted her, slowly pushing inside. The way he stretched and filled her felt amazing. She felt like her skin was on fire and she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him down and kissing him. He growled, his hips slamming against hers as she clawed at his back.

They jumped when they heard the door slide open and a group of men walk in. "Well ain't that just a pretty sight." Daryl reacted quickly, pulling his jeans up and tossing Beth his shirt with one hand while grabbing his crossbow and aiming it with the other. "Whoa there son, just take it easy." The man who seemed to be the group's later smirked and held up his hands. "No need to get hostile."

"Get out," Daryl ordered. Beth moved behind him, grabbing her knife.

"Now take it easy, it's getting dark out there. We just want to bunk down for the night. Since this place is obviously claimed, we'll respect that." The man smiled. "After all, you need rules."

Daryl glanced at Beth who shrugged. If they went around killing everyone, they weren't any better than the Governor. Daryl nodded and slowly lowered his crossbow. "One night."

One of the men, who was carrying a compound bow eyed Beth. "Who's the piece of ass?" he asked.

Daryl glared at him and pulled Beth closer. "She's claimed."


	36. Must Be Doing Something Right

Must be Doing Something Right

They were sitting on his dirty, beat up, beer stained, cigarette burned couch. She was curled against him, a small smile on her face as they watched the movie she'd picked out. He'd been so embarrassed to let her into his house, but she didn't care what it looked like, so he'd eventually gotten over it. He didn't understand it, he never would, women were too damn complicated. Sometimes he could make her smile by just touching her hand, lacing their fingers, other times; he would have to lay her down and take his time, touching her, kissing her, holding her all night long. He wasn't always perfect either. He screwed up all of the time. There were so many ways he could go wrong, but she always hung around. She was always with him.

He'd do anything for her, go anywhere she wanted. He eventually wanted to get her out of this white trash house. She deserved so much better. All she had to do was pick a place and he'd follow her there. She looked up at him as the movie ended and gave him a smile. That smile told him that he didn't have to wonder if he was on the right track to making her happy, it told him he was.

He had to be doing something right. Beth sighed, leaning into him as he bent down to kiss her, closing those gorgeous blue eyes. Daryl would never know what he did to deserve Beth, to deserve a love like hers, all he knew was that he must be doing something right.


	37. You Don't Know Her Like I Do

You Don't Know Her Like I Do

Daryl glanced at his phone as it started to ring on the bed beside him, where she used to sleep. He saw Rick's number pop up and sighed as he reached for it and picked it up. "Hey man," he spoke into the phone. It was good to know that he had friends who cared, but he knew what Rick was calling about and honestly, he didn't want to hear any of it. He'd already heard it from Merle and Glenn earlier.

Beth had left him, and honestly, it was his own damn fault, but he was missing her like hell. He didn't want to talk about it because honestly he didn't want to hear someone tell him that it was going to stop hurting eventually, or that she wasn't worth it.

They wanted him to forget about her, but he couldn't do that. He was drowning in the memories of her and they were never going to understand that. They just wanted him to move on and go out to the bar and get wasted with them. But he couldn't do that. They'd been through so much. She'd been there when he'd finally gotten up the balls to tell his old man off and move out of his house. Or when they moved in together and had to live off of ramen noodles and PB&amp;Js for the first year. She'd been his best friend and now she was gone.

His friends couldn't help him, even though they wanted to. The only way things were going to get better would be for her to come back. He'd really fucked up. He hung up the phone after a pointless conversation with Rick and went into his photos. He should have deleted them, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He needed her back. They didn't know her like he did; they didn't know how much he had to lose. He really didn't think they knew how much he really loved that girl.


	38. Last Light

Last Light

As soon as he walked through those double doors and had seen his two girls, his heart had stopped in his chest and his breath was held tight in his lungs. He couldn't breathe. When he'd lost Beth, he had known she was alive, but he had honestly believed he wouldn't see her again. Now, here she was. And god help the son of a bitch who'd cut up her face and broken her arm. The head bitch in charge ordered the release of one of hers for one of theirs. Daryl pushed the officer he was holding halfway down the hall as another officer took Carol from Beth's hands and pushed her down the hall.

He had one of them back. He took Carol and pushed her past the barricade of their bodies, letting Sasha and Tyreese look after her. Daryl turned and looked at Beth. It was her turn now. Rick led his officer down the hall and Beth stepped forward. Each one of her footsteps echoed the beating of his heart. His breath was short, shallow. He didn't want to risk anything. He didn't want this to be a dream. He needed some light back in his life. Rick kissed Beth's head as she reached them. She smiled when her eyes met Daryl's and his breath caught. He reached for her, put his arm around her and started to guide her out.

That's when the shit storm happened. Dawn demanded Noah too. Said it was only fair since they were taking her ward. Daryl's blood was boiling. Every second they stayed in the hospital was another second something could go wrong. But Noah agreed. Beth didn't like that. Daryl didn't want to let her go, didn't want to let her get anywhere near Dawn again. If Beth had been her ward that meant that Dawn was the one that had cut up her face. Daryl already wanted to kill her for that.

He watched. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion for him. Beth hugged Noah before turning to Dawn. "I get it now." A blood curdling chill set over his body as he watched Beth swing her arm, stabbing a pair of medical scissors into Dawn's shoulder.

And on reflex…Dawn's finger pulled the trigger.

Daryl watched as her head snapped back, blonde hair flying. Blood covered Rick's face as Beth dropped to the ground. Daryl's world came crashing down. His heart shattered into a million pieces. Rage strong enough to rival a tsunami ripped through him with massive tidal waves and before he could think, he put a bullet in Dawn's head, ready to kill every last one of them. He could hear someone approaching from behind him. He didn't care. He looked down, saw the crimson river flowing from her pale head. Tears stung his eyes. His vision went blurry. The last bit of light in his world went out, leaving him trapped in darkness.

Carol put her arms around him as he cried. Merle would call him a pussy, but fuck him. Beth had been the one good thing in his life, the one thing that had pulled him back from the edge when he'd been ready to fall over it. Now she was gone. He dropped to his knees, his joints protesting the abuse as he reached out with shaking hands and scooped the broken pieces of his world into his arms, cradling her body against his. He stayed close to Carol, his eyes still leaking rivers as they made their way back out of the hospital.

His whole body was numb. He didn't register Maggie's screams. He didn't register anything. Except the lifeless body of the woman he loved cradled in his arms. He hit his knees on the pavement, pulling her closer against him. His shoulders shook with each sob that wracked his body. The sun might have been shining on them, but he was trapped in an endless dark.


	39. Unspoken Attraction

_I'm back bitches..._

* * *

Unspoken Attraction

She was going to be the death of him one of these days. There was no doubt about it. She'd just blown in with her family, stirring up a storm of emotions he had no business feeling. She was skinny, scrawny, and that moonlight blonde hair blew in just the right way to send her perfume flying off like pheromones every time she walked past him. Son of a bitch.

Daryl shook his head and looked back at the motorcycle engine in front of him. Her daddy was the town's new vet, and damn it all to hell but it had to be right across the street. He could see into the window from his area in the garage. All day she tortured him with that sunshine smile and stormy blue eyes. Her name was Beth Greene, and she was the prettiest damn thing this side of the Mississippi.

And she knew what she was doing to him too, little brat. She'd catch his eye across the street, throw him a smile and a wink. On her lunch break she made it a point to cross the street just so she could walk past the open garage door and get his blood boiling. Yeah, she knew what she was doing.

Merle walked over and slapped him on the back of the head. "Boy, you're gonna let your attraction to that little flower run you into an early grave."

"Attraction?" Daryl asked, dumbfounded. At least, he hoped it sounded that way. If Merle knew the truth, that Beth was the only woman he could see and she made his tongue thick and clumsy, his heat skip a beat, he'd never let Daryl live it down. "To that skinny little brat? Have you lost your mind?"

Merle smirked and wiped his hands on an old rag. "Just makin' sure you haven't, little brother." He walked off to leave Daryl to his work.

Daryl glanced back over at the window. Damn that smug look on her face. Yeah, he was attracted to her, but it would he an unspoken attraction.

* * *

_Did you miss me?_


	40. Who I Am With You

Who I Am With You

He'd never liked to stay in one place. You stay in one place and you put down roots, make ties. And that just gets messy. He'd rather be alone, going wherever the wind took him. Never knowing where his next meal would come from, where he'd be sleeping. He'd been blind to a lot of things, but damn if he hadn't seen it all. The Taj Mahal, the pyramids, Paris, Milan, Rome, Tokyo, The Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls. Hell, he'd been lost and found.

He wasn't ready to settle down yet. There was too much to see, too much to do. But now he had a hand to hold that fit perfectly into his. His ray of sunshine in the dark, his compass when he was lost. She made him laugh so much and so often he would get high off the feeling. She made him want to hold on tight to her, to everything that surrounded the two of them.

He was a different man with her. It was who he really wanted to be. She was the best damn thing that had ever happened to him. When he held onto her tight, all wrapped up in his arms under the stars of whatever sky they happened to be under he had the world in his hands. He could reach out and touch heaven. He could see the wonders of the universe in her eyes. Beth Greene made him a better man when he was with her.


	41. My Baby's Guns N' Roses

My Baby's Guns N' Roses

They were flying down the highway in his 69' Chevy, the top folded back, her long blonde hair blowing all around and behind her. She was leaning across the middle, her lips dancing across the rough skin of his neck, kissing and nipping. "Girl, you gotta stop that," he warned her above the roar of his blood and the wind running wild around them. Hell she couldn't have the fast lane and the back seat at the same damn time. She was gonna have to pick one. How the hell was he supposed to keep his hands to himself when she was begging him to pull over on the side of the Georgia highway and showing her the stars?

His little Beth had a wild side and he damn well knew trouble ran through her blood thick and strong. It didn't help that she thought he was an outlaw, breaking and bending the rules as he pleased. He was, but it didn't help. They were double trouble, running wilder than Bonnie and Clyde, causing trouble and not looking back. But damn it if she wasn't perfect.

She couldn't stand the taste of wine, and she didn't want a dozen red roses that were going to wilt and die. She wanted to shoot whiskey while head banging and howling out _Sweet Child of Mine_. She wanted to fly down I75 doing ninety-five miles an hour sitting pretty in the shotgun. He was in Paradise City everywhere he was with her, didn't matter if it was under the glowing lights of Atlanta or some backroad. They ran wide ass open and didn't look back. All he wanted was more and more, he never wanted to quit, never wanted to slow down.

She was his little rock star and she knew it.


	42. Let it Ride

Let it Ride

They really should have seen this coming. There wasn't really any way around it. At least, not that he could see, and he couldn't say it had never crossed his mind. How could it not have? She was perfect. She was everything he'd ever wanted. And here she was. All his. Sure, they said they'd take it slow in the beginning. She was younger than him. Really, she was too young for him. But he'd be damned if he listened to social conventions when she wanted him. Yeah, they said they'd take it slow, but here they were, dancing right up against the line. She had her arms around his neck in the dark under the diamond stars, her lips and inch away from his. They had a thing for playing with fire because here they were, dancing in the flames, tempting fate. This was going to get dangerous. No doubt about it.

"Baby, do you really care about me?" she whispered, wanting to know if he was going to leave her. Hell how could he not? He was head over heels for her. But he didn't know if he should answer her or not. They were both worried about tomorrow. He had to leave, had to make a living somehow. His job kept him on the go. The days and miles would come between them. How did they know that this summer fling was going to last? It was going to be tough. That was for damn sure. They could pray to God and back that whatever they'd formed, whatever they had between them was enough. They would just have to take it day by day, mile by mile, and memory by memory.

But hell…

Just one kiss was all it would take. He'd lose it in an instant. He wouldn't know what he was doing, he already didn't. He was caught up in the moment with her. He would say anything, do anything she asked just to keep on holding onto her. Once their lips touched it was game over and they both knew it. She was probably getting a kick out of it. But they couldn't stop. There was no way he could and if she felt half of what he did she couldn't either. They were just going to have to let the moment ride and see where it took him.

Hell…


	43. Dress Up

Dress Up

Beth walked out of the bathroom, her sexy Little Red Riding costume flowing around her legs, the cape curling around her body. Tonight was Rick's annual Halloween party. Everyone had been talking about it for weeks. Apparently Rick had gone all out this year, wanting it to be as life like and scary as he could possibly make it. She looked over at the bed, Daryl was lying back against the pillows, flipping through the stations on the television. She frowned, noticing that he hadn't changed into the costume she'd gotten for him. "Daryl," she whined. "You promised."

He sighed and turned off the television. "Beth, c'mon you know I don't like dressin' up."

She pouted and walked over to him. She knew a sure fire way to get him to dress up. "But I can't go as Little Red without my big bad wolf." She straddled his waist, the tiny skirt riding up to expose the garter belt on her thighs. She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek. "If you dress up for me, you may just get to eat Little Red later," she whispered into his ear.

Daryl growled, biting his lip and gripping her waist. "You're evil." He kissed her and slapped her ass. "Fine, I'll wear the damn costume." He pushed her off and grabbed the costume she'd left on the bed. He walked into the bathroom, closing the door. Beth smirked and sat back, crossing her legs at the ankles. She played with the fringe of her skirt while she waited.

When he came out he looked a lot like Johnny Depp's character from _Into the Woods_. She bit her lip, getting up slowly and walking over to him. Daryl smirked and grabbed her around the waist, turning her around, pulling her back against his chest. He lowered his lips, nipping at her neck. "This wolf is hungry," he whispered.

Beth shuddered. They never did make it to Rick's party.


End file.
